An Aussie paraglider copped a shellacking from the national symbol recently, going global with a video showing a kangaroo attacking him as he landed near Canberra.
The paraglider offered a warm welcome to the ‘roo only for the mean marsupial to pounce at the intruder and let loose with a couple of decent whacks.
The kangaroo bounded off, leaving the paraglider unharmed except for a case of hurt pride and footage that has not gone viral.
Matilda has been described online as “the worst sports movie ever made.” Kindly, as it turns out.
Matilda was a dreadful, alleged comedy about a boxing kangaroo that challenges for the world heavyweight champion title.
The movie was made in 1978, when Muhammad Ali was probably at his most widely popular (and the reigning world champion), and starred Elliot Gould, who was then still not too far off the peak of a career that continues going strong today.
Co-starring was another A-lister, Robert Mitchum, so it’s hard to argue that the cast and circumstances surrounding the movie didn’t pack a punch.
Unfortunately, the kangaroo featured in the film was clearly a bloke in a costume. With demonic eyes.
On top of that, the Australian involvement in the movie was non-existent outside of the kangaroo’s origins. And, as anybody who’s ever heard an American attempt an Australian accent or been to an Outback Steakhouse can attest, Americans don’t really put a lot of weight into authenticity when it comes to Down Under.
Matilda was based on a novel by Paul Gallico, whose research into Australia and kangaroos was so extensive he gave the male marsupial protagonist of his work a female name.
Perhaps Gallico had a portend of the movie’s fate, though, as he was most famous for The Poseidon Adventure, which would be adapted by Hollywood for another disaster movie of a different kind.
Directing Matilda was Daniel Mann, who made some impressive movies over his career.
For 考えRoom.com, though, with its interest in Australia and Japan, perhaps his most interesting movie was The Teahouse of the August Moon, which starred Marlon Brando in yellowface.
All in all, Matilda was a critical and commercial disaster. On the upside, though, it did get some decent movie posters from all over the world, as well as some other decent images, many of which can be viewed in the gallery.
An Aussie cyclist got more than they bargained for in Australia recently.
最近、オーストラリア人女性サイクリストが想定外の事故にあった。
While riding along at a gentle pace, the cyclist collided with a kangaroo.
ゆっくりと走りながら、なんと、カンガルーと衝突事故した！
The kangaroo leaped out of the bush and struck the unsuspecting cyclist.
カンガルーが道路脇にあった森から飛び出し、女性とぶつかった。
The woman hit by the kangaroo sustained minor injuries.
カンガルーに引っかかれた女性が軽傷で済んだ。
オーストラリアが長年の対立の末、12月7日にようやく同性結婚を合法化し、法案が可決した瞬間国会傍聴席で「皆同じオーストラリア人」という歌を歌い出し、国会議員も一緒に歌ったという感激なハプニングが起こった。
オーストラリアに同棲が多く、同棲の政治力が強いが同性婚反対である保守派が長い間権力を握った。
青年でカトリック神学校の信心深い生徒だった2013年～2015年の間総理大臣だったトニー・アボット氏が同性婚を強く対抗し、認める措置を全面的に却下したが、現首相マルコム・ターンブル氏が同性婚支持者で知られた。
ターンブル氏が与党である（補修派の）自由党内や宗教団体などの反対に対して先月国民投票の実施まで導いた。歴史的に成功率が極めて低かった国民投票では有権者の６割以上の人が同性婚に賛成した。
その結果をもって、ターンブル氏が国会に同性婚認可法案を提出した。国会下院・上院でも圧倒的に指示された。結局、反対したのはわずか４議員。
議席内の同性婚が圧倒的に指示されているにもかかわらず、アボット元総理をはじめ数人の議員が棄権した。豪国会では、法案が圧倒的に支持されている場合、表を数える必要がなく、同性婚についての投票がそのケースだった。
法案が可決し採択されたら、同性婚が合法化された瞬間傍聴席から「我々がオーストラリア人」という曲が一斉歌えるようになった。一緒になった議員もいた。
その曲が元々1960年代日本でもヒットした「ザ・シーカーズ」が作曲し、「非公式な国歌」と見る人が多い。同曲の歌詞は、オーストラリアの歴史の歴史をちなみ、色々な違いがあっても皆が同じオーストラリア人であることを強調し、対等性や平等や統一感を訴える曲であり、オーストラリア人の間に広く愛されている。
Australian parliament breaks into song after passing same-sex marriage law
Japanese have been legally eating kangaroo for longer than most Australians.
Kangaroo meat was imported to Japan and being served in Tokyo restaurants from 1988, five years before meat from the national symbol was legalized for consumption by Australians in all states other than South Australia, where kangaroo could be eaten legally from 1980. (Indigenous Australians had continued eating kangaroo, a traditional food, regardless of the ban.)
Despite the head start, kangaroo meat never really kicked on in Japan, despite its reputation for being a healthy, high-protein, low-fat alternative to beef or pork.
RooMeat was promoted in Japan as being a preferred choice of athletes and models, but the “stars” called upon to plug the meat were not household names. Moreover, the meat was promoted with the somewhat mysterious catch copy of “it’s tasty if you cook it.”
Kangaroo meat can still be purchased in Japan, probably most easily from The Meat Guy, purveyor of fine meats.
Kangaroo meat is also promoted as an environmentally friendly choice as kangaroos produce less methane than cattle.
Some people have also adopted kangatarianism, which is essentially a vegetarian diet that allows for the consumption of kangaroo meat.
Japan’s kangaroo business was also involved in the kangaroo industry, which focuses around the marsupial’s leather, which is regarded as the strongest source of leather for shoes and gloves.
K-Roo kangaroo meat promotions
Premium kangaroo meat promotions
ウルル
Why we are banning tourists from climbing Uluru
ウルルの英語版ウィキペディア（日本語版のページが間違っている情報を掲載している）
Uluru climbing ban: A history of disrespect atop the rock
Samia Lila, a.k.a. ‘Goanna girl,’ is a French waitress on a working holiday visa who dragged a goanna from a New South Wales restaurant.
Samia Lila drags a goanna from a restaurant
The goanna frightened diners.
Lila then decided to grab it and drag it out.
“I looked at it and thought it was a dog at first! But then I realised it was a goanna,” Lila said.